A Sick Kitten
by Crazycanadian94
Summary: The Heart pirates are finally able to kick back and relax after being earning warlord status. As they're staying at island, his comrades found a child freezing to death near their ship. After saving her, they find out the storm prevents her to return home and she's petrified of them. Will she be able to go through the next week without any problems? Find out in:A Sick Kitten
1. Chapter 1

**◊†A Surprise Patient†◊**

* * *

It's been over three months since Law was promoted as warlord but the crew couldn't celebrate his success at the time. The first two months were busy for the warlord. Reports, arrests, meetings, and other important duties that he had to do; stalled their plans for a proper party. Coming into the third month, it's now slowing down for them. Using secret waterways that only the warlords and marines are allowed to use, the pirates docked at NorthEast Territory Island.

The island's weather is mostly cold, borderline arctic, all year long. Out of the twelve months in a year, eight were winter while the other four are spring, summer, and fall. They've arrived in the middle of winter for one good reason.

Snow.

And this island has lots of it.

Right now, it's three to four feet of snow with predictions that another two-to-thee feet more are expecting to hit in the next few days. As much Law loves this winter months, a recent report came in that's making him worry. A seasonal ice storm is coming in and it'll last for one-to-three weeks. He didn't want to risk anyone leaving the submarine when the storm does hit the small town of Iron cove, so Law sent out Penguin and Shachi to get extra supplies. Spare parts, more canned goods, re-stocking medicine, and other items Law asked for them to pick up.

The two comrades trudged their way back with supplies in hands. It's close to the early afternoon when they finished shopping and are halfway back to the docks, where the ship is at. Brushing the snow off his hat, Shachi looked towards the shipyard. "There she is," Whistling under his breath, he sneered. "Home sweet home."

Penguin chuckled. "Aye." Shifting his bags slightly, he glanced over to the red head. "Too bad all the inns are filled up. Otherwise we'd only be worried about the pipes bursting." He said with a teasing tone.

"Yeah, too bad." Snickering, Shachi shook his head. "Although, Bepo is happy about the cold weather. He won't get overheated for awhile, which means we won't hear him complain about the heat!" He laughed while they approached the docks.

They continued chatting away about what'll they do during the storm. The submarine was only a few feet away when something caught Penguin's attention. Shachi didn't noticed his friend stopped walking until he realized Penguin wasn't beside him. Turning around, he see's the other pirate staring at some abandon pallets. Because of the boxes and other random items, he can't tell what Penguin is looking at. But his unreadable expression told him that something isn't right. Just before he could ask, the said pirate suddenly bent down and came back up. What he see's next, made his stomach drop.

In his arms is a small girl, no older that twelve years old. She's shivering, cold, isn't responding to Penguin's hushed voice, and is in terrible shape. Her cloths, from what he can tell, are soaked to the bone. Indicating that she'd been outside for awhile and this only added to the urgency to get her inside. However, he couldn't move. Seeing the little girl snuggling into his chest like that is overwhelming.

Shachi finally spoke the silent question out loud. "What's a kid-!?"

"Never mind that!" Penguin snapped back while running towards the ship. "She needs medical help right now! Get your ass in gear and move!" He shouted.

Shachi finally found his bearings again and raced past Penguin to open the door for him while racing ahead to find Law. Even though they both knew he hates treating kids but when one needs medical intervention like her; he can't refuse. Plus, as he quotes, a sick kid is a quiet one.

Zipping in the hallways, he finally saw Law talking to Ron, his medical assistant and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Captain!" Seeing both men turning their heads with alarm, Shachi cried out again. "Captain, Penguin found a girl near our ship! She's barely conscious, has a weak pulse, and isn't responding to us!" Hearing Penguin coming from behind he stepped aside. Letting the red head see Law's shocked expression when he hones into the small girl in Penguin's arms.

Law's inner doctor kicked into high gear as Ron dashed off to the nearest sickbay. He quickly grabbed the girl from Penguin before running down the hall like a madman. "Tell me everything you saw. Now." He ordered.

"I heard her cough by the pallets we threw out this morning. She made them into a makeshift shelter but the cracks didn't stop the snow or wind from coming in." Penguin stated as they entered the infirmary. "She's been outside for quite some time because her jacket is completely soaked through, even though it's made for this kind of weather. Which indicates she's from around here but the storm must've caught her off guard." He added.

Law agreed with a firm nod as he ripped off the wet cloths. He began barking orders while prepping her for IV. "Get me a extra small adult gown, three hot water bottles, warm blankets, two bags of antibiotics, and start up the portable heater! She'll need warmth to combat hyperthermia and prevent her organs to shut down or allow infection to get in!" Turning his gaze back to the girl, Law's heart skipped a beat when seeing her deathly pale face.

Her eyes were glassy and dilated but they are staring right back at him. She's struggling to keep them open but her eyelids are drooping down every so slightly drowsiness. He knew she probably can't make out details or gauge depth perception but still can see. This is proven when her small hand tried to reach out to his face although it came up terribly short.

This girl isn't giving up, she wants to live and is trying to tell him by reaching out while fighting drowsiness. She doesn't want Law to let her die. She's silently pleading for help.

Encouraged by her reaction, Law bent down and whispered into her small ear. "Fight with me girl, fight!" Pulling thicker sheets on top of her, he squeezed her hand just as her eyes finally closed.

"I won't let you die!" 

* * *

**◊†Five Hours Later†◊**

* * *

Warmth.

That's the first thing the small girl felt when finally coming around. The second thing she notices, or rather, hears is a medium pitch pinging sound coming from her left. Stirring underneath what she assumes is heavy blankets, the girl opens her eyes for the first time in hours. Searching for whatever is making that annoying sound. However, her vision is anything but good. In addition, the room is practically black from the lack of light. Yet, her sensitive ears picked up a creaking sound near by shortly before hearing a long and exasperated sigh.

Following where the noise is coming from, she spots a dark skinned male. Looking or maybe reading something, but nevertheless he doesn't know she's awake. Without thinking about it, she reached out to his nearby arm. She barely touched him and his head quickly snapped to her direction within a instant. "Who're…you?" She murmured sleepily.

He took a few seconds to realize she'd actually spoke, but a large grin shortly appeared afterwards. "I'm Trafalgar Law." Cupping her cheek, Law leaned in to allow her to see his face a little bit better. "How're you feeling; Tired, cold, hungry?" He asked quietly.

She did a small nod against his hand. "Tired." Seeing the dark circles underneath his eyes, she reached out to touch them only to stop herself when feeling his hand tense up. Tilting her head to lean more into Law's hand, she moved her own and touch underneath her eye. "You…too?" She muttered tiredly as a yawn escaped her throat.

Amused by her question, he let out a chuckle. "You can say that." Readjusting her blankets and pillow to be in a better position, Law spoke again. "Can you tell me your name?" Noticing she's confused, he explained further. "I gave you my name, so isn't polite to tell me yours? I won't tell anyone else."

After some thought, she nodded. "Mis…ty." Slurring as the urge to sleep became unbearable, her eyes began to close. Misty tried to speak again but his other hand covered her lips, letting out a muffled moan as the result.

"We'll talk more in the morning." Law whispered while shifting her to be in a better sleeping position. Hearing a droned out groan, he snickered to himself. "Goodnight Mis-."

He's cut off by a very loud, deep, cat like growl. Confused, Law's eyes turned to see her face and became highly entertained at what he's seeing.

Misty's mouth is completely open, slightly drooling, and one hundred percent comatose. He isn't surprised she'd fall asleep, after all, it's the medication that's inside her IV but he wasn't expecting it to take effect this fast. Or even thought she'd be the snorer. As an added bonus; its sound's like a cat growling just before they'll fight each other. Very amusing and interesting. Amused she can snore like that and very interested as to how this child can make that sound.

"Well aren't you a…" Chuckling when she snored again, he sneered. "Alluring child; miss Misty." Smiling, Law gently closed her mouth and stood up from his chair he'd placed beside the bed earlier that evening.

He has to admit, he doesn't like treating kids. At all. They cry, whine, complain, and tests his patience to the maximum. This girl, however…is very different. He's very pleased on how well she's responding and intrigued with her quiet like nature. Even though he only seen it for a few minutes, Law figured out she's a quiet and very predominately; curious child. Her voice and the attempting of touching his face, gave him this impression. Smiling, he glanced back down to Misty's peaceful face. He has a feeling she'll be even easier when off the drugs.

_'I can't wait to see her awake.'_ He chuckled.

He began to methodically check, write down, and adjusted her medication or the portable heater for Misty's current condition. One of the last things he needed to do was replace her saline solution and exchange the other bag for a stronger batch of antibiotics.

_'I'll see you in the morning, miss Misty.'_ Law thought as he walk towards the door. When reaching the frame, he looked back to her bed one last time before hitting the light switch off and closed the door behind him. Locking it before heading off to his own room to sleep for the night.

_  
◊†In The Morning†◊

Misty woke up once again to the same beeping sound as last night. It gave her some comfort to know she's in the same room but that's about it. Who's this man and can she trust him? Sure he did save her life, however, that didn't mean he won't kill her after all this is said and done. She knows by first hand. She'd seen it, a few months before ending up on the Whitebeard Pirates ship.

Opening her eyes, Misty took a few seconds to adjust the sudden brightness from the florescent light above her. Shortly after that, she scanned the room. Taking in the minuet details of the medical equipment, stainless steel walls, white floors and walls. Another bed lined up on the opposite side of the room and, like hers, medical machines were next to it as well as a small night table near by.

_'Maybe I'm at a new clinic.'_ She mused as her eyes scanned the room again. _'They were talking about putting one near the harbor, because of the sailors and other ships coming in.' _Sitting up, Misty looked down to see her cloths were taken off and had been replaced with a very large, white, soft, nightgown. The sheets were also white in addition to a very thick cover topping it. As she's examining the bedsheets and gown, the small girl finally saw the IV embedded in her left arm. Fear crept up her spine as the seconds went by. She hates needles. Without thinking about the consequences, she attempted to take it out.

"Leave it."

Misty squeaked as she felt warm breath hitting her ear shortly after jumping backwards from the sudden intrusion. Her cheeks became very hot and red when seeing it's the same man from last night; Trafalgar Law. Sitting on a chair that happened to be next to her head end of the bed. Judging by his sly smile and intense gaze he's giving her, he isn't happy about her attempted needle removal but her little reaction to his sudden presence made it up.

"You're still at risk of getting an infection and your medication only works by intravenous. So please." Tilting his head to the side, Law chuckled darkly. "Don't pull it out." He warned.

Misty swallowed and nodded. "S-sorry." Looking away while fiddling with her fingers, she whispered while feeling her cheeks flare up again when he snickered.

"Good girl." He said as his hand cupped her cheek, pulling Misty's head to face him. He grinned with his eyes half open, easing her anxiety just a tad. "Now, what do you remember before waking up last night?" Law asked, slightly amused that she's eying his hand like its going to bite her.

Misty kept her gaze at his hand for a few seconds before looking away. Thinking hard about his question. Frowning, she slowly recalled what had happened in a very quiet and timid tone of voice. "I-I…I'd just gotten back from walking at the cove when I saw a rabbit." She smiled.

"It was white with black tips, I'd heard about them but never seen one. So I walked up to if to get a better look but it took off…" Opening her eyes, Misty kept her gaze away from Laws. She sighed. "And…I went after it. By the time it reached the harbor, the storm came out of nowhere! I freaked and-" Biting her lips, she shook her head. "I don't remember anything after that. Not until something…touched me."

Law narrowed his eyes at this information. It appears she'd panic and perhaps fainted near the pallets. Penguin hear her coming around, which might explained why she hadn't responded to him. Seeing she's becoming very stressed, he gently asked her again. "What touched you? Did you see anything?"

Misty's eyes narrowed from frustration. "I…didn't see anything." She whimpered as her eyes closed, hugging herself when it dawned on her. How did he find her and where the heck is she?

She glanced up to Law's face. "…Where am I and who're you exactly? I've never seen or heard of you before. So…" Trailing off quietly, Misty made a very pleading look to him. "Who are you."

Law paused. He knew she would ask questions, but he hadn't expected her to ask that one or to be this observant. Also, her tone of voice changed. Up till now, Misty's voice was quiet, shy, and gentle whenever she spoke. As of this moment, she sounds very scared, nervous, and perhaps; threatened. On top of that, he's just noticing her body language is reacting the same way. Tense at the shoulders and legs, while her arms are hidden from his line of sight. All this is indicating to him that she's becoming guarded and highly suspicious of him.

_'If I lie to her now, I'll lose what little trust or acceptance I've gained. I cannot afford it.'_ Sighing, Law rubbed his hand over his face. Trying to ease the oncoming headache. _'The storm has finally hit and it's the worst I've seen in years. I can't leave, even with my devil fruit abilities and I have no idea how'll she react to me.'_ Closing his eyes, he finally decided to tell her the truth and payed she won't freak out too badly.

Clearing his throat, he let out a shaky breath of air. "You're on the Heart pirates submarine; Cora. As for myself; I, Trafalgar Law, am the doctor, the captain, and warlord of this vessel." After saying that, he instantly regretted the words when seeing her face.

Misty trembled in fear and denial. Not again. She can't be on another pirate ship! Not when finding her dad at last! She can't stay here! Desperately trying her hardest not to cry out loud, she bit her lips and covered her mouth with her shaking hands.

"P-please, let-let me g-go home! I-I won't tell anyone, just-please!" She begged as tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. "Please…?!" She croaked painfully when he shook his head and lowered her head down. Trying to keep from having a panic attack.

She's surprised, however, when Law unhooked her from the IV and picked her up. Bringing Misty to his lap while wrapping his strong arms around for a warm hug. Pushing her head onto his shoulder, he felt her tense up but relaxed when his hand rubbing her back.

"I can't let you go home right now." He hugged her when she whimpered harder. "It's too dangerous to leave the ship right now. The storm's makes it impossible to walk through, never mind for visibility." He explained while he stood up with her in his arms. Kissing her cheek, Law leaned into her ear and whispered. "I promise to take you home when it lets up, but for now; I'm sorry."

To his surprise, her crying actually became quieter for volume wise. He assumes it's because she's covering her mouth and face by burying into his shoulder while refusing to open her mouth. The news is devastating to her but she also knew he's right. He rocked her side-to-side as he hummed a soothing tune, calming her down ever so slowly. When her whimpers became murmurs, Law glanced down at her and bit his lip.

Misty has fallen asleep, distress clearly showing on her face as she slept. A part of him is happy that she isn't crying anymore but the other is very very worried. Children that are very terrified will do one of two things. Fight or flight. Either one is a pain in the ass for him and the crew. Sighing, he walked back to the bed and tucked her underneath the sheets once again. Thinking ahead, he injected a anti-anxiety medication into her IV port. This'll help her to remain calm and relaxed when she wakes up on her own. He sighed.

"How did it go?"

Turning, Law see's Penguin leaning against the door frame as his gaze is on Misty. "Did she panic?" He asked.

"Yes, unfortunately." Law replied while making his way towards him. "She was petrified when I told her that we're pirates." Rubbing his neck, he turned around once again. "She'll be a 'fight or flight' risk from what I've seen." He said with dread in his voice.

Penguin patted Law's right shoulder and stood beside him. "I do have some good news." Seeing Law's giving him his undivided attention, he smiled. "When Shachi and I were cleaning her cloths, we heard a ringing sound from her coat pocket." His smile deepened when Law's smile came back in full force, he chuckled. "Her father called and he wants to have a chat with you. Asap." Taking a piece of paper out of his pocket, Penguin handed it to his captain. "His number and we gave him yours." He informed with a wink.

Law quickly memorized the number and feels a weight lifted off his shoulders. "Stay with her until she wakes up and bring her to the galley so she can eat." Turning on his heel, he walked away with a huge grin on his face with one last thing to say. "She's a flighty type, so please watch yourself. If anything comes up, I'll be in my office."

Penguin grunted in confirmation prior to taking a seat at Law's desk. Taking out Law's medical journal, he began to read. He has time to kill after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**◊†Day One†◊**

* * *

Penguin continued his reading as snow, hail, and wind pounded against the submarine. Glancing up to the window, he watched the dancing snow and ice outside the ship for a few minutes before looking back at the smaller bed a few feet a head of him. Smiling at the sight in front of him. On a sick bed, fast asleep, and unaware of his presence.

Is Misty.

A child they've found outside nearly frozen to death. Thanks to their quick thinking, they managed to save her but now there's another problem. She wasn't pleased that she's staying with pirates, in fact, she was very scared and upset with the fact. Plus; his captain thinks she's a 'fight or flight' risk. Now, this poses a problem with them. Since the storm is predicted to stay around for at least a week, if not longer. With these bad weather conditions, it means she'll have to stay for that time period as well.

That's where the problem lies. If she's very scared of them, it'll be hard for them to interact or predict what she'll do. Could she run off? Fight them at any given moment or opportunity? Theses are real possibilities and his captain, Law, is very concerned about it.

Sighing at his thoughts, the pirate resumed his reading until he heard a small yawn coming from Misty's area.

When he did look up, Penguin couldn't believe what he's seeing. The girl had gotten up, dressed into the cloths he brought earlier, made the bed, and now is walking to the window bench that's on the opposite side of the room. All without a hint of noise, except for the small yawn or sighs she made ever so often while making her way to the bench but otherwise; nothing. Not a peep.

_'Interesting.'_ He mused as she silently walked away while his smile grew a few more inches. Misty's honing towards the door just as someone knocked on it. Her eyes, body, arms, and legs; stopped moving. Even her breathing slowed down to make sure whoever is on the other side of the door, couldn't hear her or even think she's up. It's a survival technique, a very advanced one at that.

Which is why Penguin is very interested and highly entertained with this new discovery.

She's been taught to do this. Whoever showed her to do this, has high level of survival or is experienced in tricky situations where they have to be silent. Almost acting like they're dead in order to avoid detection from your opponent/enemy. It's a very rare for children to know how to do this or even being able to perform like the way she's doing it right now. He grinned. They've struck gold.

When the knocking became louder, Penguin sneered. "Who is it?"

The effect of him talking out loud, was very clear she hadn't expected it. Misty let out a small squeak as she whirled around as she finally noticed him while realizing someone else is with her. Shock and confusion is written allover her face when he did a small wave. Oh she hadn't foreseen this possibility or had the faintest clue he'd been in the room the whole time.

"It's Shane! Is she up yet?" The man yelled back, muffled by the metal door that's separating him and the girl. "Captain wants her to eat before Stan starts making supper!" He added.

Ignoring Misty's pleading face to keep quiet, Penguin answered back. "She's up!" He smiled when seeing her glare at him. "We'll be out in a few minutes!" He said while standing up.

Misty held back a whimper as the unknown person stood up. Where's Law and why isn't he here? Taking a step back, she bit her lip nervously. Who is this person and why's he smiling!? Seeing he's walking towards her, Misty quickly shuffled away from him but stopped as he bent down to her eye level from a short distance.

"Good morning!" He greeted while tipping his at to her. "I'm Penguin. The captain requested me to be with you until early evening, where he'll show you the room you'll be sleeping in." Penguin extended his hand to her, smiling. "So what's your name? My captain didn't tell me, so may I know what it is?" He asked sweetly.

Misty paused. She turned her head slightly, only showing him one side of her face. "…Where's Captain Trafalgar and why're your here instead?" She demanded as her small eyes narrowed.

Penguin inwardly groaned and fought the urge to hit himself. This kid doesn't trust him as far as she can throw him. This makes things a bit more difficult for him and the rest of the crew. She's being very guarded and she isn't attempting to get cozy with him right now; never mind to the rest.

After collecting his thoughts he let out a shaky sigh. "As you probably noticed, my captain is the main doctor on this ship and he has a lot of reports to fill out as the result. So when he gets a chance to work on them, he'll disappear into his room and make sure no one disturbs him." Smiling slightly, Penguin let out a small chuckle. "Which is what he's currently doing. Now that he's busy, he asked me to keep an eye until later tonight." He tilted his head to the side. "Doesn't that make sense?" He asked.

Misty lowered her gaze to the ground. Taking in what he'd said and rethinking about her previous thoughts about the whole situation. Before now; Misty didn't want to do anything with them, fearing they'll hurt her or do something she wouldn't like. Yet, hearing Penguin's answer and watching how he's respecting her personal space, he didn't seem bad. This also brought more trust towards Law because he kept his word for not telling him her name.

Nodding to herself, Misty turned and slowly walked up to Penguin. She's still nervous around him but he's given her a reason to give him a chance. Besides; she doesn't have a choice to leave and isn't in the mood to poke their buttons. She wants to live another day after all.

She stopped just in front of him, clearing her throat while introducing herself while a small bow. "Misty." Blushing as he grinned, she clutched her shirt and began playing with the fabric absentmindedly. "My…name's Misty." She coughed just as her cheeks became redder all the while avoiding any kind of eye contact with him.

Penguin, grinning like a loon, felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. It appears that the kid is extremely shy and timid around strangers; not a 'flight-or-fight' risk. So as long you're not loud, intimidating, or solely focused on her. That's when she'll be very fidgety, timid, and extremely nervous about you. This'll make it a lot easier for them if they just keep her calm and comfortable-

"Penguin!"

The metal door suddenly swung open in a loud and hard crashing sound. Turning around, Penguin see's Stan glaring at him in rage. "I can't keep the food out forever! Hurry…" Trailing off, the young cook's anger suddenly turned into amusement. Chuckling while leaning against the door frame, a mischievous grin spread across Stan's face. "I think she likes you as a human shield, Penguin." He sneered.

Puzzled, Penguin glanced to the small guest and smirked at the sight. Misty, very wary and nervous, is huddling behind him due to Stan's unexpected and loud entrance. This drove his theory even further home on her being very skittish around noise and encountering strangers. Her curiosity, however, proves to be stronger. She's stealing a glance or two at Stan in any chance she'll get by peeking over his shoulder or looking past his sides. It's very cute and amusing.

Penguin smiled as he scooped Misty into his arms. Standing up, he turned around to face Stan with a smirk. "She's just shy Stan." He chuckled after Misty hid her face into his shoulder. "Your sudden intrusion just surprised her. No real damage, other than a surge of adrenaline pumping into her veins." He sneered. "She'll survive."

Stan laughed under his breath. "…You've been reading the captain's books again, haven't you?"

"It's better than the crap you read." He retorted back. Laughing when his friend glared at him.

Misty, keeping silent and making sure they didn't notice, watched the duo from the corner of her eye. She gathered Stan can be noisy when angered and is impatient at best of times. Penguin; he's very intelligent, calm, and gentle to have around. He's easy to feel relax around and isn't trying to intrude her personal space. Similar to when Marco first interacted her. He kept his distance, used low voice tones, and gentle movements to avoid startling her. Misty's train of thought was interrupted when Stan's face came into view, causing her to flinch in response.

He hummed methodically as his eyes scanned her face. "…Interesting." Chuckling, he pulled away from her and nodded. "Lets get going. I'll bet she's starving because she missed yesterdays supper and breakfast."

His question gets answered when Misty's stomach growled loudly. Making the pirates laugh as she blushes while glaring at her offending tummy. They were kind enough not to poke fun at her and began walking to the galley, entering the metal corridors. Misty, walking beside Penguin after taking his hand, turned her gaze upwards. Fascinated with the pipes that snake it's way down, up, right, left, and around on the ground and ceiling. She'd never seen so many pipes in one place and is very interested to crawl inside them. To explore or to hide in.

Misty is so engrossed with the pipes, however, she tripped on the raised edge of the door frame. Almost sending her to the floor if Penguin hadn't reacted so quickly. He tightened his grip on her small hand while his other arm wrapped around her chest. Pulling her up into his arms, chuckling as both men see a deep blush spreading across her cheeks and down her neck.

"Be careful!" Penguin said while spinning her around. "You almost took a nasty tumble!" Laughing at Misty's embarrassed pout, he ruffled her hair. "Were you daydreaming?" He asked, snickering as her blush intensified. "I'll take that as a yes, but don't do it when we're walking," He sneered. "It's a trip hazard if your not paying attention."

Misty huffed a sigh. "…I was looking at the pipes." She glared at him.

Stan snorted hard at her little correction. "You're still not paying attention when your walking!" He chuckled as she blushed hard again. "We'll be eating chicken pasta with cooked rice. Do you like chicken?" He asked. She nodded slowly. "Good! That's what we'll be having for brunch, okay?"

Misty slowly nodded again while cuddling into Penguin's chest. She just wanted peace and quiet while being away from everyone. She's not one for being centre of attention, especially in front of unfamiliar faces. Her nervousness spiked when they entered the busy galley. It wasn't near crowded, noisy, or fast pace like the Moby Dick but it's still…intimidating. Everyone looked frightening to her, especially Jean Bart. His face and bulky body are nothing to mess with. When he looked up, Bart gave her the sweetest smile she had ever seen. It instantly made her smile back with a blush dancing across her cheeks but it quickly vanished.

Others noticed his rare facial expression and honed in where he's looking. She's suddenly seeing a fifty faces watching her with amusement, confusion, interest, and most predominately; smiling in a gentle demeanor. She's now the center of everyone's attention.

Fear overtook her. Turning around very quickly, Misty hid herself into Penguin's shoulder in order to make herself smaller. She blushed even harder when hearing sudden hushed whispers and snickering. Misty had always hatted being watched by a large group of people. It made her extremely nervous and feels judged by the intensive gazes. She clutched Penguin's uniform tightly as fear swept over her body but calmed down when his hand rubbed her back slowly.

"Are you scared?" Penguin whispered in her ear. She nodded. "Is it because everyone is starring at you?" He asked, earning another nod from her. Penguin grinned to himself at her apparent shyness. "We'll be eating in the back. It'll be away from everyone's gaze, okay?" He said just as Stan walked off to the kitchen.

Misty peeked up at him and mouthed 'okay' at him prior to hiding into his chest again. Penguin let out a silent chuckle after moving foreword to the sitting area. Namely, to where Shachi is sitting, taking sips of his drink every so often while reading his book in silence. He wasn't aware of his friends presence until Penguin roughly pulled down his beanie, forcing the red head to look up with a heated glare.

Before he could retort, Penguin spoke with amusement. "Now now, we have little ears in our presence." He teased.

Puzzled, Shachi finally see's the little girl pressed up against his shoulder. A grin spread across his face. "Apparently so," He chuckled lightly. "How is our little guest doing?" Closing his book, Shachi pulled out a seat next to him.

Taking his unspoken invitation, the mechanic sat down on the metal chair. "Very good," Glancing down at her, Penguin snickered. "A little shy and timid, but other than that," He grinned as she looked up to him. "She's making a good recovery from the frostbite."

Misty turned her attention to the red head. She didn't like the grin he's giving her but other than that, she doesn't feel threatened by him. She's still unsure of what's going on, but Penguin's calm, gentle demeanor helped to decrees her anxiety level. Misty acknowledged his presence with a small wave.

"Hi little one, I'm Shachi." Extending his hand to her, he smiled. "And you are?"

She unintentionally moved away from his hand, afraid of what he'll do if she touches it. He seems friendly but she doesn't trust him. Or anyone that are pirates unless they prove they are not going to hurt her. Both men snickered at her obvious distrust towards them.

"It's okay little one." Penguin said while rubbing her small back. "He's not going to hurt you," He shook Shachi's hand to prove his point, smiling when she looked up. "See?"

She examined his hand before looking back at Shachi's with timid eyes. After some hesitation, Misty eventually grabbed his hand. Squeezing it gently as she shyly whispered again. "…Misty." Blushing when Shachi chuckled softly, she released his hand while turning away. Trying to hide once again into Penguin's chest.

"Here's your brunch!" Stan cheered as he placed four dinner plates full of food on the steel table. "Dig in!" He laughed.

Misty perked up at the smell of cooked chicken and rice after turning around. She smiled and licked her lips hungrily just as Penguin seated her next to him. He pushed her plate closer and handed Misty her fork and knife. She muttered a thanks before digging into the food quietly. The first few bites of chicken, were heaven on earth. It's the best tasting meat she'd ever had! A little spicy but it's still very tasty and curbing her appetite. After finishing her last bite of food, Misty quietly watched the three men talk to each other before seeing a familiar figure enter the mess hall.

It's Trafalgar Law, talking on a transponder snail as he quickly enters the kitchen area. She was about to go after him but Penguin quickly stopped her. "He's still busy with other things Misty. He'll be done later tonight but not now, okay?"

Misty whimpered but didn't push it further. She just kept her gaze onto Law when he came back out with a plate of cooked chicken rice while he's still on the phone. Leaving the room once again. She's a little down that he's still busy and all, however, Penguin did say he'll be free later tonight. With that in mind, Misty snuggled into Penguin's side and kept silent. Thinking about what she'll do for the rest of the week while trying to ignore the other crew members. As they kept starring at her or whisper behind her back.

Penguin bent down and picked her up as he stood up from his seat. "I know the perfect place to relax and get away from everyone." He whispered. Walking out of the room, he rubbed her back slowly while she snuggling into Penguin's chest.

"You'll love it." 


	3. Chapter 3

**◊†Day One Complete†◊**

* * *

In the submarine's crew quarters, Penguin took Misty to the library for some quiet time and a chance to de-stress from the crazy mess hall. Along the way, the little girl asked if they had some paper or pencils so she could draw a picture. To pass the time and keep her mind off of things. Intrigued by her question, the pirate gave her the requested items at the library.

Now, sitting on the leather couch, Penguin smiled as he watched Misty draw quietly in the small corner of the room. Even though she's been with them for less than a day, the small girl has already won the hearts of everyone. She's very shy, quiet, and sweet. Not poking anyone's buttons, keeping her distance when need be, and just all around good natured kid. However, his medic side is nagging at him about her odd behaviour.

He knows, both from experience and research, children around her age will start acting more independent but aren't going to refuse adults whenever entering their personal space. If anything, they'll try to show him/her what they can do so they can earn their respect and hopefully acceptance if the man or women isn't someone they are used to seeing. In Penguin's eyes, Misty is bipolar opposite. She's very apprehensive of everyone and everything that's around her, especially if men are near by. On top of that, she's very…quiet. Not wanting to run around, explore the new room, or even talk to Penguin in lengthy conversations.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the girl walk up to the window bench. _'How come you're very scared of men, Misty?'_ Picking up the newspaper, Penguin quietly skimmed the headlines. _'Is it because you're still sick and feel vulnerable or did something else happen in the past…?'_ He mused before immersing into the articles about Law entering the warlords.

Misty, pressed against the glass window, checked to see if Penguin was watching her. Once she knew he isn't spying on her and is currently reading the newspaper, she resumed watching the fish swim by the thick and large bay window. To her, this is a large, free, and private aquarium for her own viewing pleaser. She likes fish(both for pets and food) and had always wished to see the ocean from underwater without worrying about drowning.

A faint smile began to creep upwards as large, small, beautiful, and fearsome schools of trout swiftly passing the submarine at a high pace. A slender barracuda zoomed by before striking a fat trout with it's massive and sharp teeth, sinking it into the preys body. Other predatory fish swam in for a chance of getting a free meal or two. Soon, the once calm undersea landscape became a hostile environment. A feeding frenzy has begun.

The little girl couldn't be more amazed.

She'd never seen this phenomenon before. Misty had heard about it from fishermen and her father, but never witnessed this astonishing event in front of her little eyes. It was bloody, violent, scary, and fascinating to watch. She couldn't keep her eyes off of them. Little fish darting in all directions, larger ones chasing after them while keeping away from the larger predatory seals! It was crazy!

A giggle past her lips as the sea dog snatched a good looking trout. Misty beamed into a bigger smile when a smaller pup swam up to the glass. Playfully zooming back and forth as it's trying to figure out what she is. Another giggle came out when it nudged the window, inviting her to come and play or simply attempted to get a closer look but was stopped by a unknown force. Frustrated by the same result of not being able to move foreword, it swam back to it's mother as the feeding frenzy calmed down.

Soon, the sea became dormant once again.

Coming down from her adrenaline rush, the little girl started to feel very sleepy. The air bubbles, steady rocking movement, and muffled sounding air coming out of vents; made Misty very tempted to fall asleep. She hadn't been sleeping well because of nightmares for the past two years and it's gotten worse in the past month or so. She'd take naps to catch up on much needed rest and now seems like a good time.

Leaning her head against the glass after making herself comfortable, she closed her eyes while taking longer breaths of air. Slowly but surely she began to fall asleep and drift off when hearing the door creaking open, followed by a muffled laugh. Dimly, Misty can hear Penguin whispering before the hair raised on the back of her neck. It's a small reaction she'll get whenever someone's watching her intensely or has a high level of haki.

Without warning, a pair of large, but gentle, hands grabbed her sides as they lifted off the bench. While being pulled up, she's delicately rested on a soft but sturdy fabric. Waking up a bit more the girl also noticed its warm but that's what didn't make sense. Penguin's uniform wasn't this warm or soft to the touch. Plus; he smelt like oil and sweat. Whoever she is on now has faint traces of peppermint, fresh pine, and some kind of aftershave that's spicy.

Confused, Misty peeked a small glance and stopped when seeing a sea of dark navy blue ruffled feathers. Tickling her nose whenever inhaling large amounts of air. Who wears a feathered shirt? Narrowing her eyes, she desperately tried to make sense at what is in front of her and figure out who would have this kind of shirt.

"F…feathers…?" Muffled from the fabric against her lips, Misty weakly moved away as a whimper left her lips. "N…no. Why…?" She bemused softly.

Warm breath suddenly ticked her ear as a very soft voice whispered soothing words. "Relax little one," She flinched slightly when feeling soft lips touching her cheek briefly. Somewhere in the back of her mind she recognized the voice but couldn't make the connection. "I'm just going to move you to your bed for the night. Please go back to sleep." It urged.

As much as this is tempting to do, her instinct screamed to stay awake. She doesn't know who's holding her and it's making her very anxious and scared. Her heartbeat is racing and she's sure that whoever is holding her can feel it pounding against her chest. Shaking her head sluggishly, Misty whimpered loudly. "No-I…please."

She's silenced by a long finger pressed against her small lips, hearing the voice making short, soothing shushing sounds. The sound help calm her nerves but the finger is making her more afraid of what's happening. Letting out a pained whimper, she seized up when a warm hand began to gently rub her back in small random patterns. At the same time, the finger was removed from her mouth and its now gently caressing her cheeks. These actions eased the girl's fear by tenfold just as sleep began tugging at her mind once again.

"Good girl." It cooed just before humming a sleepy tune. She recognized it as a old but effective lullaby that people from the North Blue would use. It happens to be one of her favourites, she snuggled closer to hear the tune better while slipping towards sleep. After a few minutes of listening this tune, Misty unknowingly drift off. 

* * *

**Later That Evening**

* * *

Law quietly organized his older medical journals while hiding in his bedroom/office. Its been almost two months since he'd done it last and since they can't go out to a bar or whatever, it was a perfect chance to do it. Besides. Turning over his new page of notes he'd gathered from the recent phone call, Law skimmed over the information with fine detail.

Just as he began reading it, the surgeon of death heard a faint child-like moan. Chuckling under his breath, he slyly looked over to his plush leather couch. Folding and clasping his hands together, he rested his chin on them while smirking wickedly. "Do you have any idea that you're about to fall off," He chucked. "Miss Paws?"

Misty, fast asleep while clutching his old hat closer to her chest, is completely obvious that she's teetering on the edge of his black leather couch. He'd brought her into his room a few hours ago when she fell asleep at the library just before the others would show up for a loud, fun, game of poker. Since he didn't wanted her to wake up from the noise, he'd brought her to his room. It's the furthest away from everyone and she'll be much happier because of the fact it's very peaceful and away from loud crew mates.

Although, he muses, Penguin has wiggled his way to her small heart. Just prior to leaving the library, his comrade retold the events while he was on the phone. It turns out that she's very close to him or at least accepts his quiet-like nature and also informed him she wasn't a flight risk. Unless, in the case of Stan, you're ear-splitting loud. For the doctor, this makes things much easier for the upcoming week or two with her

_'Speaking of her…'_ Glancing over to her as he heard another cat-like snore, he smirked again.

Law got up and made his way to the small girl so he can hold her on his lap while finishing reading the notes before heading off to bed. He didn't want her to wake up just yet and get hurt from falling or become scared when waking up in a different while unfamiliar room. Reaching his destination, he carefully cradled Misty into his arms just before walking back to his desk.

Amused when she snored, Law snickered while sitting back into his plush office chair. He made Misty sit sideways on his lap while allowing free use of his chest as her personal pillow and back support. Grabbing his lap quilt, he carefully covered her underneath the super soft blanket he'd often used whenever it was cold and too lazy for turning up the heat. His smile grew as the little girl began to purr very loudly whenever she exhaled just after a faint smile appeared on her lips. Chuckling under his breath, Law snaked his arm around her waist if she did slip off. Stealing a quick peck onto her forehead, he muttered 'good girl' as his eyes scanned over the notes.

Unaware that a pair of sleepy eyes are gazing up to his face. A moment later, the small girl smirked while snuggling back into position and falling back asleep. Both, enjoying the silence and peaceful company that they share.


End file.
